Archive for September, 2009

While most people’s perception of a green home is of an extreme or radical departure from traditional styles and designs. In reality, most green homes now being constructed are unrecognizable as being green. With the exception of solar panels on the roof, most green homes are designed to look no different from the house next door. ”We wanted to show that you can build an exciting and affordable green-built home“ said Greg Bauer, president of Bauer and Son Construction.

Introducing Bauer & Son Construction’s GREEN Home

This home features 1,120 sq. feet on the main level, with an addition 886 sq. feet in the unfinished lower level.

Main Level Plan

The Living Room –Dining area – Kitchen highlights the “open” floor plan that includes a vaulted ceiling and clearstory windows. Other standard amenities include a large master suite and one bedroom on the main level, a breakfast bar in the kitchen, a covered front porch and covered deck, main floor laundry facilities and a two-car garage.

Lower Level Plan

The unfinished lower level or Basement includes space for a family room, two additional bedrooms, and a third bathroom.

Front Elevation

Rear Elevation

Kitchen

With the exception of tubular skylights on the back, this house will “blend” into the neighborhood. Bauer & Son Construction met all the development requirements for conformity to the neighborhood covenants. In addition to the development requirements, this home has been designed to qualify for Energy Star, LEED for Homes, NAHB National Green Building Program, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s – Indoor airPLUS, and the U.S. Department Of Energy’s – Builder’s Challenge. Please visit www.bscconstruction.com to learn more.

Location

Bauer & Son Construction’s Green Home is located at 2534 N. Davin Circle in The Fairmont development, approximately 3/8 of mile North of 21st St. N. and 1 block West of 127th St. East.

Home construction is constantly evolving and green building is a logical step in that evolution, particularly when thinking about energy usage, a healthier living environment and environmental impact. The fact that all homes account for 22% of the total energy and 74% of the water consumed in the nation necessitates that we design and construct more sustainable homes. When our homes have indoor air pollutant levels often four to five times higher than outdoor levels, we have to make our homes a healthier place to live. When 21% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are coming from our homes, we have to construct our homes so they have less of an impact on the environment.

LEED and LEED for Homes

LEED, is an internationally recognized green building certification program, initiated in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The LEED Green Building Rating System is voluntary and is based on existing, proven technology. It is applicable to all building types, commercial as well as residential.

LEED for Homes was created by the USGBC in November 2007 to promote green building techniques, energy saving strategies, and use of high performance materials, appliances, and mechanical and electrical equipment. With LEED certification, homebuyers can readily identify a high-quality green home that has been third-party inspected, performance tested, and certified to perform better than a conventional home. LEED provides national consis­tency in defining the features of a green home which assures homebuyers of the quality of their purchases.

LEED for Homes certification is based on a point system, with prereq­uisites and credits, within specific categories in the building process. The prerequisites are basic performance standards, which are mandatory for every home. No points are awarded for prerequisites. To achieve certification, builders must earn credit points by exceeding the minimum stan­dards of the prerequisites. In total: 136 credit points are available. Prerequisites and points are classified in following eight credit categories.

7. Indoor Environmental Quality: Improvement of indoor air quality by reducing the creation of and exposure to pollutants.

8. Awareness & Education: The education of homeowner, tenant, or multifamily building manager about the operations and maintenance of the green features of a LEED Home.

LEED for Homes Certification Levels

Required points

Certified

45-59

Silver

60-74

Gold

75-89

Platinum

90-136

Total available points

136

The number of points for each certifica­tion level is adjusted for smaller-than-average and larger-than-average homes using the Home Size Adjustment.

Based on the amount of points earned, a LEED-certified house will receive a rating of Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. For more information on the LEED process, please visit the USGBC website, www.usgbc.org.

The home that Bauer & Son Construction has under construction is designed to achieve a Gold level of certification. The home is located at 2534 N. Davin Cir, Wichita, KS. Please vist www.bscconstruction.com to lean more.

Bauer & Son Construction, Inc. recently broke ground on what they anticipate will be the first LEED® for Homes project in Wichita. This home is designed to qualify for LEED “Gold” certification which will take place upon the completion of the home when points are awarded across all aspects of the home including design, energy efficiency and material usage. In addition to LEED certification this home will also qualify for ENERGY STAR®, NAHB Green Building Program, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s – Indoor airPLUS, and the U.S. Department Of Energy’s – Builder’s Challenge programs.

”We wanted to show that you can build an exciting and affordable green-built home. Meeting LEED for Homes standards not only demonstrates this, but it gives third party verification to what we are doing,“ said Greg Bauer, president of Bauer and Son Construction.

Bauer & Son Construction is dedicated to green building through commitment and training, as well as developing their own GreenLogic™ set of standards that address all aspects of construction. “Building to LEED standards may not be for everyone, but our GreenLogic™ program is designed to assist home buyers in determining what aspects are right for their lifestyle and budget.” added Bauer.

The home is located in the Fairmont Addition located at 21st North and 127th Street. The home features 1,120 sq. feet on the main level, with an addition 886 sq. feet in the unfinished lower level.

The Living Room –Dining area – Kitchen highlights the “open” floor plan that includes a vaulted ceiling and clearstory windows. Other standard amenities include a large master suite and one bedroom on the main level, a breakfast bar in the kitchen, a covered front porch and covered deck, main floor laundry facilities and a two-car garage. The home boasts space on the unfinished lower level for a family room, two additional bedrooms, and a third bathroom.

Some addtional green features of the home include a heat recovery fresh air ventilation system, ENERGY STAR rated windows and exterior doors, interior paint with no VOC’s, bamboo flooring, Green Label Plus carpet and a drought tolerant lawn.

Adam Bauer, LEED AP became accredited earlier this year and has spearheaded this project from its conception. Laura Heagler, Green Development Coordinator for Bauer & Son Construction, earned the LEED AP Homes credential in early August and will be managing this project. Please visit www.bscconstruction.com to learn more.